FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF WIFE AFTER WIFE COMES A SHARPLY ENTERTAINING MODERN RETELLING OF THE GREATEST LEGEND OF THEM ALL – THE TALE OF KING ARTHUR
“Avalon,” said Eliza. “Where King Arthur rests until Britain needs him again.” She looked over at Ace and smiled. “Now would be good.”
* Britain is sunk in gloom, its government blundering between crisis and scandal. The country desperately needs a new hero.
Enter Arthur ‘Ace’ Penhalagon, smashing his way to Wimbledon victory and into women’s hearts. Ace has two missions: to be the first man to win the Golden Slam – the Holy Grail of tennis – and to use his fame as a force for good.
Eliza Rose, head of media giant Rose Corporation, shares Ace’s dreams for Britain. For him it’s love at first sight, but ever cautious, she prioritises her career.
When Eliza becomes the target of abuse and death threats from Ace’s fans, he spirits her away to the safety of his native Cornwall. But there, he too must confront his demons. His past is a mystery to Eliza. And what happened to his beloved foster brother, Locryn, who ran away after a dark episode Ace refuses to discuss?
What secrets is Ace hiding?
In that far corner of England, where magic is woven into the fabric of the land, a reckoning awaits. Will love triumph over Fate, or will history, yet again, repeat?
PRAISE FOR OLIVIA HAYFIELD ‘A fast-paced read that you’ll adore’ – Belfast Telegraph ‘Ingenious and addictive’ – Francesca Hornak ‘A delicious read’ – Renee Rosen
What would Henry VIII, Elizabeth 1st, Richard III or King Arthur be like if they lived today? Questions like these inspire Olivia Hayfield's modern-day retellings of historical tales.
Olivia is in fact like her characters – a reimagined version of the truth. Olivia Hayfield is the pseudonym of author and editor Sue Copsey. Olivia is more glamorous and fair bit younger than children's writer Sue, and her behaviour is far worse.
Sue has two children and a husband; Olivia probably has lovers and a pedigree cat. Olivia spends most of her time in London, while Sue is usually in Auckland, New Zealand.
Thank you Olivia for gifting us a copy to read and review. What happens when you tackle the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the round table with Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere and shake it up and write it in modern times? That concept is this clever book. It follows on from Olivia’s previous work of a modern take on history. And I really enjoyed them. To all British people, Arthur ‘Ace’ Penhalagon is a tennis champion but his past is full of secrets. He wants to win the latest Grand Slam and use his fame and celebrity for good deeds. Eliza Rose, CEO of RoseCorp, is using her new position to change the world and when she meets Ace, the flames ignite. His past is a mystery and when Eliza is targeted with online trolling they disappear to a house on the water. But the past to about to catch up with them both and explode into danger and ultimately tragedy…… A stellar tale with masterful characterisation, genius plot and the nods to history throughout are smart. Very reminiscent of the 80s prime time soaps and books of that era. It kept the historical portrayal as accurate as possible and it worked well to bring it into the present Completely addictive, imaginative and creative. Bring on the next historical retelling, I love this series of books! Get your hands on these, they’re great…
What would it take to throw a world champion tennis player off his game – why love of course!
But this is not just any love story.
Arthur ‘Ace’ Penhalagon is a champion British tennis player coached by his foster mum Merle.
Ace is on a quest to become the second player to win the Golden Slam (4 majors and the Olympic title) in a single year (Steffi Graf was the first). He is also grappling with fame and fortune while attempting to stay true to himself.
Enter Eliza Rose, CE of RoseCorp. Like all Britain she is taken with this quintessential British hero (telling Terri “Be nice. Don’t Terri-fy him”). Eliza meets Ace, helps him and their relationship sparks.
And that is when trouble arises, as social media jealousy appears and a spiteful campaign against Eliza erupts. Eliza even earns her own stalker.
The story weaves its way across Britain, to Tokyo and New York before landing in Cornwall for a twisting and mind-warping climax.
Will Eliza distract Ace from his quest? Is there really a stalker, or is it just Eliza’s imagination? What does New Zealand surfing have to do with the story? No spoilers here!
Queen, King, Ace is a modern retelling of the Arthurian legend set in Covid impacted 2021 and woven into the continuing story of a modern-day Elizabeth I and Henry VIII.
Queen, King, Ace has all the elements you would expect from any Arthurian legend: Merlin (Merle), Lancelot (Lockie), Guinevere (Eliza Rose, with a twist), Excalibur (but is it the tattoo or a sword in the lake), Camelot, Round Tables and many other favourites that entertained us as kids and teens.
As always, I tried to savour Ms Hayfields book. Yet I couldn’t put down Queen, King, Ace as twist after twist was layered on top of each other and we rushed to an epic climax. The story is told with Ms Hayfield’s wonderful fun style, which is easy to read.
Queen, King, Ace stands alone, though will be more enjoyable if you have already read Ms Hayfield’s earlier books: Wife After Wife (retelling of Henry VIII), Sister to Sister (retelling of Elizabeth I) and Notorious (a retelling of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower). Our favourites Harry (Henry VIII), Eliza (Elizabeth I), Will (Shakespeare), and Rowan (Richard III) all reappear.
The book itself doesn’t shy away from some big issues, such as stalking and social media bullying, but grapples with them in a fun way while staying true to the message that they are always unacceptable.
Oh, and fellas, if you wonder why I would bother reading chick-lit, it’s because it is much, much, more, a well-researched modern history and just plain fun.
It really is a kinda magic – so try the magic yourself!
I loved this book, the latest in Olivia Hayfield’s wonderful book that merges known historical figures with perfectly crafted modern day characters. In this one, Eliza the son of Harry (King Henry VIII) is swept away by an ace tennis player Art (legendary King Arthur). It’s a fast-paced book with twists and enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. She writes about passion as well as she tells a great story. I’ve loved all of these books, but I think with this one I was able to read it without the underlying historical context. It just flowed like any other great book. High recommend.
I am so delighted that the author reached out to me and asked me to read an early copy of her new book. I have read and devoured all her others and let me tell you this one was no different, I loved it.
This book, like her others is a modern day retelling of past royals, this one is King Arthur, a real Arthurian Tudor Mash up. The book also features some characters from her previous books which I absolutely loved.
The main protagonist in this book is Eliza Rose (Queen Guinevere/Elizabeth I) and I think she is a fabulous character. She has so many different sides to her throughout the storyline but I think my favourite side of her is her heart, this lady feels every emotion and when she loves, she does it wholeheartedly. I love that she is very open minded, she believes anything is possible and doesn’t shy back from anything.
Next up we have Ace (King Arthur). What a guy he was, he was most definitely a people’s person, and got on with everyone and in return everyone loved and wanted to be around him.
I’m not going to name every character as we have a lot of them, however they were all easy to follow as individuals. Sometimes I get confused if so many but I didn’t in this book as they definitely all had their own personalities.
Ace and Eliza had an instant connection and were so much fun together. They seemed to really bring out something in each other, I think their softer side. They made each other realise that it’s ok to trust, that it’s ok to slow down and not be on the go 100% with work etc.
I don’t want to spoil this book as I think you should go in blind. What I can say is that this book will take you on a ride, the love this author has for Royal history shines throughout the story in all of her characters. The storyline is great and will have you feeling every emotion. It’s a book that you want to just keep turning the pages to see what happens next.
This was a thoroughly entertaining retelling of an ancient legend that has been reimagined in post covid/post brexit Britain. Olivia has expertly combined mystery, romance and a touch of magic while also tackling wider issues about social media and who holds the power in modern society to bring about change. It had all the feels! Recommend.
Hayfield is on form. I was a little obsessed with the Knights of the Round Table as a teenager and studied Le Morte d'Arthur at university. I was thoroughly swept up in this story; surprised and impressed at how history and mythology have been cleverly interwoven to create a compelling dramatic love story. There are lots of delicious easter eggs and I loved spotting them. Most satisfying
England is in desperate need of a hero. After the Covid pandemic and the Brexit debacle, England is in despair, and only one man can save the day. He does not wield a sword, but a tennis racket and his fair maiden is the badass CEO of the Rose Corp. Ace Penhelagon and Eliza Rose seem like a picture-perfect pair, but every rose has thorns that protect it from a dark past. What dark secrets do these two hide away from the flashes of the paparazzi and can love endure over fate? Olivia Hayfield’s latest novel, “Queen, King, Ace,” is a modern love story that combines the elements of the Arthurian myths with the Tudor dynasty to answer the question of what might King Arthur and Queen Elizabeth be like in the 21st century.
I would like to thank Sue Copsey/ Olivia Hayfield for sending me a copy of this novel. I have seen Hayfield’s previous modern historical retellings, “Notorious”, “Wife After Wife,” and “Sister to Sister” online on social media, and they have looked intriguing, but I have yet to read one. When I heard the premise of this novel, it intrigued me as I was not sure how a modern story with the Tudors and the court of King Arthur would work out.
We begin our modern Tudor/ Arthurian adventure with Eliza Rose, the new CEO of Rose Corp, discussing with Terri Robbins-More about a new tennis phenom named Ace Penhelagon and their planned interview with him for their magazine, The Rack. Eliza agrees to the interview and asks her right-hand man, best friend, and writer extraordinaire, Will Bardington, to write the article. A chance encounter blossoms into a romance between Eliza and Ace, but obstacles get in the way.
Eliza is dealing with the aftermath of the murder of someone whom she considered a soul mate, Kit Marley, who was also very close to Will. Ace is on track to complete the Golden Slam, which is when a tennis player wins the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Olympic gold medal, which is a tall order for any athlete. From the meddling press to stalkers and parents questioning their intentions, it seems like fate is throwing everything it has at this young couple. The final twist in this tale was something I was not expecting and kept me on the edge of my seat. When I finished reading this novel, I wanted to read Hayfield's other modern historical retellings.
This book may have not been a book that I thought I would enjoy in the concept alone, being a modern retelling of the Tudors and the Arthurian myths, but by the end, I was engrossed in the tale and a bit sad that it ended. I am a fan of modern tales from time to time, but the fact that Hayfield added a Tudor/Arthurian twist was a bit of fun searching for those little Easter eggs. If you are a fan of contemporary fiction, the Tudors, and the Arthurian legend, you should check out, “Queen, King, Ace” by Olivia Hayfield.
Once upon a time, I was in love with Merlin and the knights of the round table. Now, reading this modern, fresh version set in a post-Brexit, post-Covid world of professional tennis and tabloids, it was a breath of fresh air. I am not a tennis lover, but this Arthurian retelling-slash-sports romance made it easy to follow along.
Following Arthur ‘Ace’ Penhalagon and Eliza Rose, heiress to a media company, I found myself wondering who the Lancelot character might be, if this was our Arthur and Gwenevere. Eliza had a host of male friends, and I changed my mind often about who would step into that role.
I wasn’t expecting this book to make me want to unravel a host of mini mysteries, including who was stalking Eliza, why she was being haunted, and if everyone was as they seemed ... This story was part romance, part thriller, part mystery, and it wasn’t afraid to touch on some tough themes (see content warnings below)
There was magic and mystery and many moments where I could feel … something. Like a ripple in the water. Something was coming. A big reveal. I wasn’t sure what, but as the story went along, I began wondering who was the ‘big bad’ and if, indeed, it would be ‘Lancelot’ or some other knight.
I guessed … and re-guessed … and I won’t give spoilers! But I DID NOT SEE THAT TWIST COMING! Like, at all!
👍 I would recommend to anyone who likes an Arthurian retelling, a bit of mystery and magic, and believers in soulmates.
⚠️ Content warnings: stalking, social media bullying, hauntings, grief and death and emotional haunting, murder (both human and animal – off page), suicide attempt (described, off page) insta-love, and cheating.
I needed a book by an author whose initials can be found in “Ohio,” and not one of the over 3300 books on my to-read list fit (!), so I asked a few friends for suggestions. This book fit the task, it’s available through Kindle Unlimited, and the cover caught my eye, so… here we are.
This is a retelling of the tale of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but the lead-up to the relevant points of the story seemed to take forever. I’m not a huge fan of romance books to begin with, so the big insta-love thing early on in the book should have been a sign that this would not rank highly on my list. If I didn’t need the book for such a hard-to-fill challenge spot, I would probably have DNFd it way before reaching the halfway point. Oh, the books we plod through for the sake of reading challenges!
There is a list at the end of the book that identifies which book character is supposed to represent which character in the King Arthur story, but by the time I got to that point, I really didn’t care.
Felt like a bit of slog for the 3/4ths of the book & then the ending felt very hurried. Bit of PTSD reading about our lockdowns here in NZ. We did not enjoy our tyrannical leader's heavy hand. Good riddance to the pandemic & everything that came with it. I wish I could read books without having that brought up!!
I absolutely adore this book. I love everything to with KIng Arthur and this retelling was top notch. It had everything i expected of the Knights and even the love triangle we’ve all come to know and love. The writing was very good, and it definitely kept my attention the whole time i was reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fans of Olivia Hayfield will love this return to the glittering, fast-paced world of Harry and Eliza Rose, this time with an Arthurian twist. A deft blend of romance and suspense makes this book a true page-turner.